Blue Whale challenge in India: Facebook, Google inform Delhi High Court, not party in the case

After a PIL seeking a ban on the Blue Whale challenge was filed, Google India and Facebook India have informed the Delhi High Court that they are not the necessary parties in the case.

The PIL was filed by advocate Gurmeet Singh seeking immediate directions to restrain internet firms from uploading any material pertaining to the Blue Whale challenge. (Reuters)

After a PIL seeking a ban on the Blue Whale challenge was filed, Google India and Facebook India have informed the Delhi High Court that they are not the necessary parties in the case. Meanwhile, Delhi Police has filed s status report in the case, reports Indian Express. On one hand, Google India said that Google Inc should be impleaded instead, Facebook India, on the other hand, said that services for users outside the US and Canada were provided by Facebook Ireland. The PIL was filed by advocate Gurmeet Singh seeking immediate directions to restrain internet firms from uploading any material pertaining to the Blue Whale challenge. He cited examples of children committing suicide across the country and abroad.

The Delhi Police in its report said that it has directed all social media service providers like Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, Yahoo, Rediff and Twitter to block or take down any link or reference to the game and bar access to contents related to it. It further added in its report that it has issued an advisory on Twitter for parents and guardians detailing steps they can take to keep their children out of harm’s way. On August 15, the Ministry of Electronics and IT had directed the internet majors – Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Microsoft and Yahoo – to immediately remove the links of the deadly Blue Whale Challenge.